Translated “Avante!” article by Ângelo Alves, Member of the Political Committee of the CC and Member of the International Department

In a period in which the international situation developments point out to enormous dangers, prove endless hypocrisies and arise fears, nurtured by imperialism and tries by using them in self advantage – by trying to impede or revert peoples’ struggle - it is important to underline and highlight some aspects that, on one hand, prove the enormous challenges with which the anti-imperialist struggle is confronted and on the other hand, the possibility of, within the most difficult situations, to achieve victories.

The first note, regarding the many challenges through peoples’ struggle, concerns the political and media manipulation stage. In Venezuela, the legitimate Venezuelan government and the progressive forces fight the waves of violence coming from the reactionary forces, at the service of imperialism, and in the origin of that country’s situation. For the great economic groups and their own media, boycott actions, crime and violence performed by right-wing groups and mercenaries are actions “for the sake of democracy”. The Venezuelan government legitimate action, in order to keep order and defend democracy is an act of “violence”. In Brazil, the popular revolt action against the coup leaders anti-social, corrupt and criminal nature, that stand in power, is considered as a violent protester action. The Brazilian corrupt government repression is presented as an attempt of “order maintenance”.

Travelling in the direction of other remote regions, as the Korea Democratic Popular Republic, smashed by a campaign that places it at a high stage of bellicose threats. However, the USA intercontinental missile tests, the NATO inflamed discussions on how and who increases imperialism war budgets, the USA incitements in the China Sea, or even the greatest trade weapon operation in the USA history (valued in 110 thousand million dollars, in weapons) precisely to Saudi Arabia, one of the main DAESH “sponsors”, are all facts presented as being “natural”, as acts in the “defence of the free world”.
The Manchester attack victims are deplored but “comic” TV soaps are produced on Trump’s “dance of spades” in one of the international terrorism headquarters – the Saudi royal family palace. The deep silence on thousands of refugees carries on, refugees that the European Union condemns to death, every single day, but imperialism wars, which stand in the origin of the greatest wave ever of refugees in the post-war, carry on to be financed and carried out by the NATO powers, including the European. Merkel uses the supposed NATO’s USA “disinvestment” in order to control, together with Macron, the European Union militarist and armament rise. But Trump’s “disinvestment” within NATO, has as an outcome both an exponential increase of its own military budget and NATO’s East front budget.

“Human rights” carry on to be manipulated all over, in order to justify imperialism wars and interference. Nevertheless, these same human rights, are no more important when concerning Palestinian people’s struggle. And so, the victory achieved by the Palestinian 1500 political prisoners upon 40 days of hunger strike and massively silenced by the “free press” is of the greatest importance! It proves that peoples struggle, even subjected to absolute silence and facing the most violent and abject repression (as this case), ought to achieve victories! And that reminds us that struggling is worthwhile!